Abstract: Eddy current brake equipment includes a stator assembly and a rotor assembly adapted to be mounted on a transmission shaft of a vehicle. One of those assemblies includes inductor windings and the other assembly includes an armature facing the inductor windings. The inductor windings are selectively excited from an electricity source of the vehicle in response to a power feed setting. A processor is provided to estimate the braking torque that the equipment can provide as a function of the speed of rotation of the rotor assembly, of the temperature armature, and of the temperature of the inductor windings, and of at least one value for the power feed setting.

Abstract: A measuring device for measuring the braking torques generated by a vehicle-mounted electromagnetic retarder having a fixed secondary magnetic circuit or "stator". The device includes a sensor for measuring the speed of rotation V of the rotor of the retarder, a detector for detecting variations in the electrical potential difference U that is generated during operation of the retarder between two points on its stator, which points are sufficiently distinct from each other with respect to the way electrical potential varies at the two points during the operation, a further sensor for measuring the amplitude A of the variation, a memory circuit suitable for causing to correspond to each pair of measured values A and V the value C of the corresponding torque, and a unit for displaying or making use of the values C.

Abstract: To reduce as much as possible the extension of a vehicle transmisson due to the cantilever fitting of an electric retarder with two rotor discs and two rotor rings on the casing of the gearbox of this transmission, between the gearbox flange and the journal cross of the nearest cardan joint a single tubular insert is provided bearing the two rings externally and pierced radially with two bores forming bearings for two journals of the journal cross with interpositioning of bushings and by two apertures adapted to let pass bushings associated with the other two journals of the journal cross for pivotally mounting same on the fork of the cardan joint.

Abstract: A vehicle transmission is constructed so as to reduce as much as possible its length due to the cantilevered mounting of an electric retarder (2, 3) with two rotor discs (9a, 9b) on the casing of the gear-box (1) of this transmission. To this end, the rotor of this retarder is supported by the periphery of a gear-box flange (14) via a tubular insert (23) having at one of its ends an internal collar (24) fixed to the periphery of the flange and at its other end, an external collar (13) surrounded by the rotor rings (10).

Abstract: To reduce as much as possible the extension of a vehicle transmission due to the cantilevered mounting of an electric retarder (2, 3) with two rotor discs (9) on the casing of the gearbox of this transmission, between the gearbox flange (14) and the journal cross (33) of the cardan joint (15), a tubular insert (23) and a reversed cardan flange (24) are provided successively. These two parts are applied one against the other along external collars which form an annulus (13) on which the rings (10) of the two rotor crowns of the retarder are mounted axially on each side.

Abstract: For improving the cooling of the rotor armature disk (2) of an electromagnetic retarder, connected to an outer flange (10) by a circle of arms (9) forming ventilation fins, these arms are formed by two parallel dividing walls (12) defining a narrow elongate pocket (13) whose bottom is formed by the disk and which opens axially into the free face of the flange through a slit (14) formed in this flange.

Abstract: An assembly is provided formed by an electromagnetic vehicle retarder and its electric supply means, where the retarder has a rotor (2) mounted on the output shaft of the gearbox of the vehicle and a stator (13) cantilevered on the casing of this gearbox. The armature (5) of the retarder forms part of the stator and is cooled by water and its inductor (4), which forms part of the rotor, is fed electrically by an alternator whose rotor (13) and stator (14) are secured respectively to the rotor (2) and the stator (3) of the retarder.

Abstract: The invention provides an armature rotor for electromagnetic retarder, comprising at least one disc (2) extended axially on one of its faces by a plurality of fins (9), each fin being defined by two parallel or substantially parallel faces slanted with respect to the corresponding radii, the tips of the fins being connected together by an annular flange (11) and the assembly formed by the disc, the fins and the flange being made as a single moulded block from ferromagnetic material. The fins (9) of said rotor are particularly thin, numerous and so close together, the thickness of each fin being less than 5 mm and the width of the gap between two consecutive fins, in its narrowest zone, considered perpendicularly to the facing faces of the fins, being less than 10 mm.

Abstract: To improve the cooling of the rotor armature disc of an electromagnetic brake, connecting to an external web by a ring of arms forming ventilation fins, the web bounding with the disc and the portions of fins which connect it to this disc, channels for ventilation air, on one at least of the surface bounding the channels internally, striae or ondulations are provided constituted by ribs extending in directions inclined to the direction of flow of the air in the channels. The ratio between the spacing of the sucessive ribs and the height of these ribs is comprised between 5 and 15.

Abstract: An electric retarder for vehicle is provided comprising on the one hand an inductor stator comprising a ring of electric coils (3) supported by an annular framework (1), which framework includes a central socket (5), radial arms (6) extending this socket and a ring (8) carried by these arms and supporting the coils, and on the other hand, an armature rotor comprising two magnetic disks (20) both connected, through rings of bent arms (14), to a central collar (15), itself secured angularly to a section (17) of the shaft of the vehicle to be slowed down. The socket has a truncated cone shape, the collar is connected to a central cylindrical pot (16) covering the narrow end of the socket and the shaft section is mounted in this socket via a small bearing (19) housed in the pot and a large bearing (20), of the axial thrust type, disposed at the widened end of the socket.

Abstract: An electric speed reducer of low power designed essentially for equipping home trainers comprises an armature rotor composed of two parallel discs of magnetic material fastened to the same shaft. The shaft is itself mounted on a suitable frame through bearings. The inductor stator is arranged so as to be mountable radially removably between the two discs, and comprises for this purpose a single pair of cores of cylindrical or prismatic material whose generators are parallel with the axis of the speed reducer, and of which only the first is surrounded by a coil of electric wire.

Abstract: An armature rotor for an electromagnetic retarder includes at least one disk (2) made from a ferromagnetic material connected to an inner fixing ring (7) by an annulus of arms (9) forming ventilation fins, the largest diameter portions of these arms projecting axially from the face of the disk opposite the air gap (E), and the crests of these portions being joined together by an annular web (10), the assembly formed by the disk, the ring, the arms and the web being formed of a single molded block. The maximum outer diameter of the ventilation stucture formed by the arms and the web is greater than the outer diameter of the disk, considered at the level of the mean plane of this disk. Two thin collars (13 and 14) defining therebetween a groove (15) extend the two axial faces of the disk radially outwardly.

Abstract: To improve the cooling of the rotor armature (2), of an electromagnetic brake, joined to an outer flange (11) by a ring of ventilating fins, these fins are constituted by two or three rings of incurved tiles (9.sub.1, 9.sub.2, 9.sub.3) straddling radially in part.

Abstract: In an eddy current retarder, more especially for vehicles, each enlarged pole shoe (5) is shifted circumferentially rearwardly, with respect to the axis (Y) of the corresponding magnetic core (2), i.e. in the direction opposite that (F) of the rotation of the rotor.

Abstract: In vehicle retarding equipment having an eddy-current retarder with four windings, a battery, four control contactors, a five position actuating member and a multiple contactor for under-energizing the retarder by connecting the windings thereof in series, two by two this latter contactor is automatically controlled by opening an appropriate contact, when the real braking torque is reduced to a third of its nominal value at cold, this control being slaved either to the temperature of the rotor armature of the retarder, through a thermocontact mounted in a pocket formed in a pole-shoe of the stator opposite said armature, or to the shifting of the gear box to a low gear position, or to the time during which the actuating member is in its position corresponding to maximum energization.

Abstract: An electric retarder is provided for braking the transmission shaft (A) of a vehicle, in which the stator comprises at least one ring of coils (1) supported by a transverse plate (2) itself stiffened by a rib. The portion (7) of the stiffening rib of the plate, situated at the level of the axis (X) of the retarder, is disposed inside the ring of coils and is connected by radial extensions (10) each passing between two consecutive coils to outer rib sections (8,9) extending as far as the periphery of the plate. Thus the overall width L.sub.2 of the stator may be reduced for a given width l of the ring of coils, which makes standardization of the manufacture of the rotors possible in some cases.

Abstract: The electric retarder comprises a stator (1) mounted through a frame (11) to a casing (4) of a vehicle drive axle and a rotor with two disks (2) supported by a central plate (17), which plate is mounted on a collar (8) fitted on the end of a stub-shaft (3) extending from the casing and is coupled to a universal joint. For assembling the plate to the collar and the end flange (24) of the universal joint to the plate, and to close the jaw (23) of this universal joint formed by two bearing blocks (26) and two clamps (27), on the corresponding journals, recourse is had to twelve screws, namely four screws A, four screws B and four screws C staggered angularly by about 30.degree. with respect to each other about the axis X of the retarder.

Abstract: In an electromagnetic retarder armature rotor, comprising a disk (1) connected to a securing collar (2) by means of a ring of rams (4, 4.sub.1) forming ventilation fins, the largest diameter portions of these arms projecting axially from the disk and their tops being connected together by an annular flange (5) parallel to the disk, the assembly of the disk, the collar, the arms and the flange forming a single molded block, if we call D the outer diameter of the disk (1), a the axial distance between this disk (1) and the flange (5), b the radial width of this flange (5) and r the inner radius of said flange (5), the ratio Db/ar is between 10 and 30.

Abstract: A circuit is provided for thermally regulating a vehicle equipped with an electric retarder (2), using the forced circulation of a liquid successively through the engine (1,5) of the vehicle, a radiator (7) and a drive pump (6). An auxiliary circuit section (10) is provided comprising a heat exchanger (11) adapted to remove heat coming from the retarder or to yield up heat to the air current thrown back by the rotor of this retarder and a three-way electro-magnetic valve (12) adapted to bring this section (10) into circuit depending on whether the retarder is energized or not and/or whether the temperature of the liquid in the radiator exceeds a certain threshold or not. A second auxiliary circuit section (15-17) allows the passenger space of the vehicle to be heated.

Abstract: The energization of the electric speed reducer of a vehicle, whose friction brakes for the front wheels and rear wheels are respectively controlled by two independent pressurized fluid circuits, is controlled by a plurality of pressure contacts. These pressure contacts are actuated by the pressure of a fluid and this pressure is permanently given a value tied to the higher of the two pressures existing in the two independent pressurized fluid circuits. A dual control relay valve of the ++ type is connected to these two circuits and to an independent source of pressurized fluid.